The Love in the Story
by LJLanham
Summary: A different spin on the season opener... and our introduction to Hannah. What if Brennan admitted her feelings to Booth only to come face-to-face with Hannah? What does her appearance mean for Booth & Brennan, and what exactly is the story she's pursuing?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note - This one started out as another of my "Goodbye, Hannah" one-shots… but became a multi-chap story of its own. What is the story Hannah is pursuing, and what will it mean for the future of BnB? That is what we are going to find out…eventually. I hope you enjoy the ride. And as always, please review- it makes my day and keeps me going.**

**Big props to my buddy Ceeray3 for the beta and the encouragement! (This doesn't mean you're off the hook for reviewing, LOL!)**

The Love in the Story

Chapter One- The Beginning

"_So, did you meet anyone special?"_

"_You mean, did I have sex with anyone?"_

"_I missed that about you, you know… you just cut right to the chase…"_

"_I was working," she said. "So there was no time… or inclination for sex… or romance…"_

Time seemed to stop for her as she paused, a fierce debate raging inside her head… should she tell him? She decided that she'd waited too long already.

"…that's not exactly true," she said. "There was inclination, but the only man I'm inclined to engage in sex or romance was sixteen thousand miles away, training police recruits in Afghanistan…"

"Bones," he said, stumbling over his words. "What are you saying?"

She couldn't be saying what he thought she was saying. _God, not now…_

"I'm saying I was wrong, Booth," she said, smiling that smile that made his heart melt. "I'm ready. I want us to take a chance… to be a real couple… Booth, I love you…"

"There you are!"

Before either of them could respond to Brennan's statement, they were interrupted by the appearance of a bubbly blonde.

"Baby, I've been looking everywhere for you," the woman said as she leaned in and kissed Booth full on the lips. Booth automatically returned her kiss. But then, almost as if he'd realized where they were, he abruptly ended the kiss and pushed back from the other woman.

"Hannah," he said, stunned. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" she replied. "You told me you were going to the Mall to meet your partner…"

_But I didn't invite you to come along… _

"I've got to go," Brennan said, standing up abruptly. She felt as if her heart was going to leap out of her chest. "Booth, I'll see you at the lab. I assume Caroline expects us right away."

Before he could say anything else, she was on her way down the stairs.

"Bones!" he called out. "Wait! They're at the Hoover… "

But it was too late, she was gone.

He turned to the woman who was now standing next to him, hanging on his arm.

"Seriously, Hannah," he said. "What are you doing here?"

"I got bored waiting at your place," she said. "I'm dying to know what this case is that had them call you back so suddenly."

She was smiling that wide smile that got her so much information. The look of innocence was a perfect weapon for a shrewd journalist who always got her story. When she'd stumbled upon Seeley Booth in a war-torn town square outside Kabul, she knew there was more to his story and she was determined to unearth it.

She hadn't expected to fall in love with him.

Now, she was torn between the story and the man. She'd grown to know him well enough to know that he would hate being the focus of her story, but she also knew that he had quite a story to tell. And a big part of that story would be Dr. Temperance Brennan.

She couldn't miss their reunion.

She'd been watching from the edge of the Reflecting Pool. She could tell when the moment was becoming intense, and as much as she wanted to follow the story that Booth had laid out for her in Afghanistan, she felt an innate need to stake her claim on him. The woman and the journalist were engaged in an intimate battle. The woman won out.

She chose that moment to make herself known.

She purposely interrupted Dr. Brennan's declaration of love. She could see that Booth was stunned by the good doctor's revelation and the woman in her couldn't allow the chance of his immediate reaction. She knew that he was in love with Brennan, and she wasn't ready for him to own up to that fact.

"I've got to go, Hannah," he said. "I still don't know what's going on and they're going to be waiting for me at the office."

"I want to come with you," she said.

"No way," he responded, back-pedaling when he saw the pain etched on her beautiful face. "I'm sorry," he said, reaching out to rest his hand on her cheek. "I still don't know what's up and I don't think they'd appreciate me showing up with a journalist in tow."

"That," she said, "or you don't want them to meet your girlfriend."

He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. The one thing that he hadn't liked throughout his relationship with Hannah was her tendency to pout to get what she wanted. He'd thought it cute at first, but it got old-really fast.

"You know that's not true," he said firmly. "But I'm working. Go back to my place," he said. "I'll be there as soon as I can… and I'll fill you in as best as I can."

Knowing that was probably the best she was going to get at this point, she decided to listen to him. She kissed him goodbye and took her leave. She decided it was time to learn more about the very accomplished Dr. Temperance Brennan.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Brennan made it all the way to her car before the tears began to fall.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she said to herself as she unlocked the door.

She got in to the car, closed the door and let her head rest against the back of the seat. Her tears were falling in earnest now. She should have known. She should have listened to her rational mind… it would always protect her from her frivolous heart. Her traitorous heart. Her crushed heart.

He told her he had to move on. She said she understood… hell, she actually encouraged it. But she never really believed he would… not deep down. She'd seen him try. Catherine, the marine biologist, didn't last long. It had been too soon, he wasn't ready.

Just like she wasn't ready.

She hadn't been then. She was right when she said she'd needed to get away to find some perspective. She'd done that… it wasn't long into her seven months in Maluku that she realized that she did have an open heart, and that open heart was full of love for her partner.

She wanted to tell him.

She'd wanted to rush to him, but that wasn't practical. And telling him she loved him from sixteen thousand miles away over the broken connection of a satellite phone just didn't seem like the right thing to do.

So she'd waited.

She waited until Caroline called and told her that her family needed her. She had debated the merits of going home. She wasn't sure that Cam's case really necessitated her leaving the project. Then Caroline told her Booth was coming home, and her mind was made up.

Booth was coming home… and so was she.

She knew she would tell him as soon as she saw him. She'd waited long enough. She went straight from the airport to the Mall. She couldn't wait to see him. She couldn't wait to tell him. She was back, Booth was back… now was their moment. Her mind and her metaphorical heart battled for a brief moment before her heart won out. She'd blurted out that she loved him… not the romantic declaration that she'd planned. Did he still love her?

Apparently not.

Before he could respond to her declaration, _she _had shown up. It was like she'd materialized out of thin air at just the perfect moment. Hannah. Beautiful, smiling, perky…perfect… Hannah. She appeared to be everything that Booth had always been drawn to in a woman. And the way she'd called him 'Baby' and grabbed his lapels… passionately kissing him like it was the most natural thing in the world…

She pulled herself together.

Dr. Temperance Brennan was strong and she didn't need anyone. She knew now that believing in love had been a mistake- a mistake she wouldn't make again. She decided at that very moment to put away those feelings. She stuffed them deep into a metaphorical trunk, locked it tight and stored it back in the hidden recesses of her soul. She'd tried it and failed. Love was for other people. Dr. Temperance Brennan was meant to be alone… not that she believed in fate, of course.

Emotions locked up tight, she headed for the lab. Did Booth say the others were at the Hoover?

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Booth arrived at the J Edgar Hoover building shortly after Brennan. They were immediately caught up in the whirlwind that is Caroline Julian and soon everyone's focus was on Cam's plight.

Bones had thwarted every attempt he'd made to get her alone, and it was making him crazy. As much as he cared for Cam and as much as he was intrigued by the case of the missing boy… they had a conversation to finish.

Finally, everyone was making their way out. Sweets and Daisy had gone, Caroline was on her way down the hall, Angela and Hodgins were in the doorway and Bones was talking alone with Cam.

It was now or never.

He walked up to the women.

"Bones," he said gently, reaching out to touch her forearm.

Cam was startled by the way Brennan recoiled from his touch and Angela instinctively turned toward the action.

"Go home, Booth," Brennan said. "Go home to Hannah."

"Bones," he pleaded. "We need to talk."

"There's nothing else to say, Booth. Go home to your girlfriend."

_Girlfriend?_ Angela mouthed in Cam's direction. Cam just shrugged, as lost as Angela.

"Temperance," Booth tried, desperate to get her to talk with him. "Please, talk to me."

"There isn't anything else to be said, Booth," Brennan replied, calmly and rationally. "We have a case to solve and Hannah is waiting for you."

He reached for her one last time, stopping himself as he saw the desperate pain in her eyes… pain that had been belied by her words. She was right, now wasn't the time. He dropped his head, his gaze settling on his dusty boots as he finally turned and made his way toward the door.

He pushed past Angela and Hodgins, who were glued to their spots, and without another word Seeley Booth disappeared down the hallway.

"What the hell was that all about?" Angela asked.

"Wait," Hodgins said, "Booth has a girlfriend?"

"Color me surprised," Cam added. "I was sure that when the two of you returned you'd be a real couple."

"So was I," Brennan answered quietly as she moved past her friends and down the hallway.

"Okay, seriously?" Angela was flabbergasted. "How do you go off to war and come back with a girlfriend?"

"I don't know," Cam replied, "but we're not going to find out tonight."

"She's right, babe," Hodgins said, entering the conversation for the first time as he wrapped his arm around his wife's waist. "Let's go home. You can talk to Brennan in the morning."

"No," Angela said, tears filling her eyes. "She needs me. I need to talk to her _now_."

"Angie, I think she just needs some time. Let's leave her alone tonight. You can go over there first thing in the morning."

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Across town, Hannah Burley was sitting Indian-style on the floor of her boyfriend's living room with her laptop in front of her. She had spent the last several hours researching Temperance Brennan. At the moment, she was reading a blog entitled "KathyLovesAndy." She'd found that very often, the internet fans had all the dirt. They were the ones with their finger on the pulse of reality… or not.

She discovered a few that disagreed, but the overwhelming majority of "Brennanites" believed that Temperance Brennan was in love with her partner and that her books were an outlet for the feelings that she tried to keep hidden. There were a handful of fans who were absolutely certain that the partners were either secretly married or having a torrid affair, but Hannah knew that both of these theories were way off base.

She thought back to those first nights in Kabul.

_They sat together in a dark corner of the mess tent, sipping horrible coffee. She had been intrigued by Sgt. Major Seeley Booth from the moment she'd met him. She'd seen him in action when he'd rushed in that town square to save her from those insurgents. She was immediately drawn to him. He was strong, and sexy. And brooding. There was something going on behind that strong, silent exterior… and the journalist in her was determined to find out what it was._

_He was hot, there was no doubt about that. But there was so much more to him than that._

"_So," she said on their third night in camp. "Tell me about her."_

"_Who?" he asked._

"_The woman you left behind," she answered. "Nobody who looks as good as you doesn't have someone waiting for him at home."_

"_I do," he answered with a smile that lit up his handsome face. "My kid. My son is who I've got waiting for me at home."_

"_What about his mom?" she asked, unsure herself if it was the journalist or the woman who was asking._

"_That was over a long time ago," he said. "She's married to someone else now."_

"_There's definitely someone," she pushed._

"_My partner," he said._

"_Oh," she replied._

"_I'm FBI," he said. "This is just a temporary assignment."_

"_I would think the FBI wouldn't allow romantic liaisons between partners," she said, sipping her coffee._

"_They don't," he answered. "But Bones isn't FBI, she's a scientist. But it's not like that anyway. She's my best friend."_

"_Bones?" _

"_It's a nickname," he said, smiling._

"_I figured," she said, laughing._

"_She's a forensic anthropologist," he said. "She helps us identify bodies. If nobody else can give them a name or a face, Bones and her team can. She's amazing."_

_Hannah watched as the dreamy smile spread across his face. This was interesting. _

"_Tell me about her…"_

And tell her he had. It was obvious that Booth was in love with his partner. But they weren't together, and therein lie the story. They had spent the past few months enjoying each other's company. She had given him someone to confide in, to lean on… she'd given him some much needed comfort.

For her, he was a distraction. Another soldier with a sad story, she became enthralled with the way he handled himself and the way he handled his men. They soon became friends, and quickly became more.

Seeley was an incredible lover. He was as giving and generous in bed as he was in the rest of his life. It had been a long time since Hannah had experienced that kind of relationship. She hadn't expected it to really become a relationship, she had truly considered him a distraction and didn't expect it to go on beyond this story.

Hannah was a nomad… a free-spirit. She wasn't the kind of woman who had a guy in every port, but she had been through a series of liaisons not usually lasting much longer than the story she was writing at the time.

She'd become embedded in his unit shortly after the incident with the insurgents from which he'd saved her life. Their easy camaraderie had turned to friendship and soon friends had become lovers. When he'd been called back to Washington, she'd immediately decided to go with him. She wasn't sure when exactly she'd fallen in love with him, but she did know that she wasn't ready to give him back to Temperance Brennan.

So now, here they were… all three of them in Washington and all three of them well aware that Brennan was now ready to have more than a business relationship with her partner. None of them knew what would happen next, but Hannah was sure it would be one hell of a story.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN- I'm going to be babysitting my cousins' five kids for the rest of the week through the weekend… so I can't promise daily updates, but this one won't be dragged out for too long.**

**Thanks for all the support, favorites and alerts- wow. I'm stunned. But I really want to know what you're thinking, too. Your comments mean so much, so please take a moment to review.**

**Thanks!**

Chapter Two

The Plot

"Sweetie," Angela said as she knocked again on Brennan's front door. "I know you're in there. Come and let me in."

"I don't want to talk, Angela," Brennan said, opening the door to her apartment.

"Too bad," Angela answered. "We haven't seen each other for seven months. We barely exchanged letters while we were away. We get back and you admit that you wanted to be a real couple with Booth in the same breath that you told us he now has a girlfriend. I'm sorry, but this requires some explanation. Here," she said, extending her arm to hand her friend the paper cup she was holding. "I brought you some coffee."

"Thank you," Brennan said, accepting the cup.

"Talk to me, Bren," Angela said, moving in to the living room. She sat down on the sofa and motioned for her friend to join her.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Angela," Brennan answered honestly.

"How about we start at the beginning," Angela said.

"When is that?" Brennan replied, honestly perplexed. She let out a long sigh, "I guess it started when Sweets finished his book. We went to him and told him that he made a mistake. His book was written on the premise that Cleo Eller was our first case…"

"But it wasn't," Angela said. "You brought me in a year before that when you worked on Gemma Arrington."

"Exactly," Brennan said. "So, we sat down and told him about that first case. He was convinced that Booth and I were in love…"

"He was right," Angela mumbled under her breath.

"I know," Brennan replied.

"What?"

"I said, I know," Brennan repeated. "When we left that night, Booth told me that he wanted to give us a chance…that we should try to have a real relationship… he basically told me that he would love me for the next fifty years or so…"

She sniffed back tears as a wistful smile covered her face.

"Oh, Bren," Angela said quietly, tears streaming down her own face. "What happened?"

"I couldn't do it. I told him that I didn't have an open heart, basically that I couldn't love him the way he deserves to be loved… I told him that I had to protect him from me…" She paused, regaining her composure with a long sigh. "And then he said that he had to move on."

"Right," Angela said. "Wait. No... what? That's not right. What happened to fifty years? What did you say?"

"I agreed," Brennan said. "And then I asked him if we could still work together. I need him in my life, Ange. I knew it, even then."

"I don't get it," Angela told her. "So, you just decided to go on like nothing happened?"

"Yes," Brennan answered. "And it worked, for a while. Then I got the offer to head up the Maluku Project. It seemed like the answer. It would give me time to find some perspective and learn to compartmentalize my feelings for Booth."

"But that's not what happened…"

"No, it's not. It wasn't long after we arrived in the islands that I realized that I was in love with Booth and I didn't want to compartmentalize those feelings…"

Angela sat with rapt attention and listened to her friend tell her tale.

"…we had waited so long, this wasn't something that I could tell him in an email, or over a bad satellite connection…not even in a real letter," Brennan said, shaking her head. "No. So, I waited. I couldn't wait to see him again. When Caroline called and said that Cam needed us and Booth was already on the way, I couldn't get here fast enough. I decided I couldn't wait any longer… that I was going to tell him as soon as I saw him…"

Angela held her breath, her coffee long forgotten.

"…we met at the Mall, and I did it. I told him that I love him…"

"Oh my god. Brennan, what did he say?"

"Nothing. The minute I'd finished speaking, Hannah showed up. Before I knew it, she was kissing him… I didn't wait around to see what happened next."

"You came to the meeting with us," Angela said. "And you never gave Booth a chance to get you alone. Sweetie, you have to talk to him. You have to let him explain…"

"Explain what, Angela?" Brennan said, emotionally spent. "That he got tired of waiting for his emotionally-crippled partner to come around? That he went out and found a nice little blonde to keep his bed warm at night? I should have known better, Angela. Love isn't real. It's just a series of chemical reactions and…"

"Stop it!" Angela very nearly shouted. "You don't mean that. If you did, this wouldn't be tearing you up the way it obviously is. I still believe in you and Booth, Bren. Don't give up just yet, okay? Talk to him. See what he has to say. Better yet, let me meet this Hannah person. I'm sure I can get the lay of the land pretty quickly."

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Hannah sat hunkered down in the archives at the Washington Post. She was determined to find out everything she could about Seeley and Temperance's cases. This where their story began and this is where she was going find her answers.

"_She's had a rough life," Booth said. "It's hard for her to believe that people really can love. She hides behind her walls. I knew that. I should have waited. I knew she wasn't ready."_

"_Maybe she will be when you get back," Hannah said, reaching out to touch his cheek._

_It didn't feel strange at all to her to be lying in bed with this man and talking about another woman. They weren't serious. This was just a little fun, some stress relief. The guy was obviously in love with someone else._

"_Nah," he said. "She's a rock once she's made up her mind. I've got to find a way to move on."_

"_I think I can help with that," she said, flashing him a sultry smile._

"_I think just maybe you can," he replied, leaning in for a kiss._

She wasn't sure she was happy about what she'd found. She could either write the love story of the century or she could maintain the story of her own happiness.

She knew from the beginning that she and Seeley were temporary. Everything in her life was temporary. But there was something different about this guy. She knew it was more than wanting to know his story. She was finding that she wanted to _be_ his story.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

"Look at them," Angela said to her husband as they stood in the doorway of the grungy lab- as if you could really call it a lab. It was more of an old closet with an autopsy table and a computer… "Jack, we have to do something. This is not the way it's supposed to be."

"Angie," Hodgins said. "We can't get involved. They've got to work this out on their own. Look how long it took us to finally get it together."

"No," Angela said. "This time it's serious. Jack, he _told_ her. He asked her for a chance and she turned him down."

"And that's something that they're going to have to deal with. Babe, nobody can do that for them. They are the only people in this equation."

"That's just it," Angela protested. "They're not. You're forgetting that he came home from Afghanistan with his very own Camo-Barbie."

"Yeah, I don't know what's up with that," Hodgins admitted.

"I mean, I can see a desert fling. You're stuck in a warzone… death and destruction everywhere… the love of your life just turned you down… a little life-affirming nookie never hurt anyone. But why in god's name did he have to bring her home?"

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Hannah walked in to the Royal Diner and took a seat at the counter. She exchanged a friendly greeting with the counter waitress, Kay, and ordered coffee and a club sandwich. The place seemed very familiar, even though this was her first visit. Booth had told her a lot about the place when he'd told her the story of his partnership. She looked around, debating on how she would broach the subject when she overheard two other waitresses talking behind her.

"No, it's true," the first waitress said. "They're both back. I heard one of the lab techs talking when they came in for lunch. There's some big case that brought them all back."

"Have you seen them, Sal?" the second waitress asked.

"No, but apparently they're all working across town at the DC Coroner's office, so who knows if they'll be in here any time soon."

"You know they will be," the waitress replied, laughing. "It's been half a year since he had Marie's pie."

Hannah smiled at this; she knew all about Booth and his pie. This was definitely her in.

"You must be talking about Agent Booth and his partner," she said casually.

"Why do you say that?" Sally asked, always protective of her favorite customers.

"'Cause he's always raving about the pie at this place," Hannah replied, flashing her famous you-can-tell-me smile.

"You know Agent Booth?" the younger of the two waitresses asked, a dreamy smile spread across her own face.

"Oh yeah," Hannah said. "Met him in Afghanistan. He's quite a guy."

"Yes," Sally said. "He is."

"So, what's the story with those two?" Hannah asked casually.

"Depends on who you ask," Kay said, joining the conversation.

"What do you mean?" Hannah asked.

"If you ask them," Julie said. "They're just partners."

"We've all heard it a million times," Sally said with a wry smile.

"But you don't believe it?" Hannah asked.

"Sure," Kay said. "We believe it 'cause they believe it…"

"…but?" Hannah pressed.

"But they're head-over-heels for each other," Sally replied.

"It's obvious to everyone but them," Julie said.

"They even try dating other people," Kay said. "But it doesn't last."

"Remember that lady from the aquarium, Kathy.. Kate…?" Sally said.

"Catherine," Julie said, nodding. "The one with the pretty blue eyes. They weren't as pretty as Dr. Brennan's."

"Nope," Sally said. "And apparently Agent Booth didn't think so either."

"And that doofus she brought in here right after that," Kay said.

"I think he's actually Agent Booth's boss," Julie offered.

This was fascinating. Hannah sat back and listened as the waitresses went on with their conversations. They seemed to forget she was even there as they went back and forth with their impressions of Seeley and Dr. Brennan and the people that they had dated over the years. These women saw everything, and they didn't forget a thing. She smiled, thinking she was sure Seeley would have a thing or two to say about the way the waitresses were so concerned about his love life.

Listening to the way they talked about Catherine, Hannah began to wonder how they would describe her and what they would say if they knew she was dating Seeley. She decided it was best to keep this information to herself. She took out her notebook and jotted a few notes as the ladies continued talking. She feigned interest in her sandwich as she continued to hang on their every word.

This was definitely great material for her story, but it didn't bode well for her, personally.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

"Bones," he said pleadingly for what seemed the millionth time since they got back. "Will you please talk to me?"

Brennan stared out the window of the SUV as they made their way from the Coroner's office to the FBI building.

"You can't ignore me forever, Temperance," he said, his exasperation showing in both his tone and his use of her first name. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Except home to Hannah," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," she replied.

"Bones, listen to me," he said. "I'll give you until this case is over. But when it is, we are going to sit down and talk. Just you and me. No distractions."

She thought about what he'd proposed and realized it was a workable solution. If she could keep him from talking about the mess that their personal lives had become until after they solved the case… she knew he wouldn't forget about it, but at least it would give her time to come up with a plan.

Maybe she could convince him that he hadn't heard her correctly. They were both suffering the effects of jetlag, after all.

She thought that the best solution was to distance herself from the situation. She still owed five months to the Maluku project. As soon as this case was solved and Cam's position was secured, she'd go back to the islands. There, she knew she could find solitude and perspective.

Only this time, instead of trying to figure out how she could live _with_ Booth, she had to learn how to live without him.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN- This story doesn't have the readers that my others do… and I'm guessing that's because Hannah is such a central character. Just remember folks, I'm a BnB shipper ALL THE WAY. :-) And while I may not hate Hannah… I am ready to see her go, too. As for the story… have we figured out her angle yet? Or better yet, has she?**

**Thanks for all the alerts and favorites! It means so much… but please review if you have a minute. I'm really interested in your thoughts on this one!**

Chapter 3

The Twist

Seeley Booth sat alone in a dark corner of the sandwich shop that had become the team's home away from home… away from home. It was close to the Coroner's office, but it definitely wasn't the diner. Booth realized he was missing Marie's pie as he sipped his coffee slowly.

It wasn't only pie that he was missing. He knew he was going to have to find a way to get through to Bones. If only she'd talk to him, he could explain everything. They might even finally have a chance to move their relationship out of the friend zone and into the forever one. He hadn't even really had a chance to react to her confession. She loved him. Temperance Brennan loved him, and she'd said it. Out loud.

He remembered the jolt of electricity that went through his heart at her words. He'd waited so long to hear them, and yet they couldn't have come at a worse time. Why did Hannah have to show up at that precise moment?

And Hannah… she was another issue altogether. He couldn't believe she'd actually followed him home. She'd mentioned it casually when he told her he was leaving, but he hadn't expected her to actually follow through with it.

Hannah was fun. She was beautiful and attentive, and she'd gotten him through some really tough times… but she wasn't Bones. He knew that ultimately, that was all that mattered. He'd told Bones that she was the standard, and he'd meant it. She was his standard and no one else would measure up- no one else ever could. He knew that, and it seemed that now she finally knew it as well.

But she was already doubting it, thanks to Hannah's appearance.

"You look like somebody stole your puppy."

He looked up to see Angela standing at the table in front of him.

"Hey," he said, quietly.

"Seriously," she said, taking the seat beside him. "You look like hell."

"Thanks, Ange," he replied sarcastically.

"Hey, I just call it like I see it," Angela replied. "Wanna talk about it?"

"What is there to say?" he asked.

"You could tell me about this Hannah person, for a start," she said, her words punctuated by a pointed glare.

"She's just a girl, Ange," he said, sounding almost defeated.

"It looks pretty serious," Angela said.

"It's not."

"Really?" 

"Really."

"Where's she staying?" Angela asked, her eyebrows shooting toward the ceiling.

"At my place, but…"

"And did you sleep with her last night?"

"Yes, but… well, no…"

Booth let out a frustrated sigh, looking around to make sure that no one was paying attention to them. He turned to Angela and spoke to her in a low voice, through gritted teeth.

"Yes, I slept with her, but I didn't _sleep_ with her," he said. "You know I couldn't do that. Not after… not after what Bones said. Hannah's a great girl, Ange. Under other circumstances, I'm sure you'd really like her. She's fun and she's been a good friend to me, but that's all. It was a fling, it's not serious."

"Then why in the hell did you bring her back here?"

"I didn't _bring_ her, Angela. She just kind of showed up."

"It must be pretty serious to her then, if she followed you here."

"She didn't follow me," he told her. "She followed the story."

Angela didn't speak her question, just relayed it to him with the look on her face as he continued.

"She's a reporter. She was imbedded in our unit, covering the conflict for the cable news. She got in to some trouble with a group of insurgents and my boys and I got her out. Let's just say she was extremely grateful."

Uncharacteristically, Angela continued to listen without speaking though this development did cause the raise of her eyebrow.

"She was there, Angela. She was fun, she was beautiful… and she was willing. It makes me sick to admit this, but I used her. I used her to try to deaden the pain of Bones' rejection. I used her to try to remember what it was like to be wanted. I used her to try to forget what it felt like to love my partner unconditionally… "

"Wow," Angela said quietly. This was an admission she never expected to hear from Seeley Booth. Booth was a superhero when it came to chivalry, this was really unlike him.

"We became friends," he went on. "She was someone to talk to, to confide in. She was easy to hang around with… she was beautiful and it felt good to hold her at night. But it wasn't supposed to last beyond my deployment."

"So, wait… what about the story?" Angela asked.

"Like I said, she was someone to talk to. I told her about Bones and our partnership. I could tell she smelled a story," he said. "It didn't really bother me at the time because talking to her about it became a way for me to get it out… to deal with it. She knew from the beginning how I felt about Bones and she was okay with it."

"No way," Angela said, shaking her head. "No woman is ever okay with the guy she's sleeping with being in love with someone else- no matter what she says, and no matter how enlightened she seems."

This time, it was Booth who shook his head.

"No, Ange, really. She's cool. We were never serious, she knew how I felt about Bones… and I get the feeling that it's been a while since she had a relationship that lasted longer than the time it took to research a story."

"You get the feeling or she told you?"

"She told me," he answered, "why?"

"Because if that's true, then it makes her being here even more suspicious. I wasn't there," she said, "but Brennan told me about your reunion. Booth, showing up the way she did was calculated. And that kiss she planted on you was meant to stake a claim. If she knew you were into Bren and she wasn't worried about it, then why would she have done that?"

Booth realized that Angela had a point. Hannah knew he'd gone to meet Bones and she'd either followed him or tracked them down. It seemed like too much of a coincidence for her to show up exactly when she did. And he had to admit that the kiss had thrown him for a loop. He couldn't believe that Hannah would actually try to cause trouble between him and Bones-not after everything he'd told her. There had to be another explanation.

"So, now what?" Angela asked.

"I don't know," Booth answered honestly, rubbing his hands over his face.

"Do you still love Bren?"

He answered her with a glare that screamed, _"What do you think?"_

"Of course Angela," he said. "I'll always love her. I _have_ always loved her. You know that. I think you probably knew it before I did."

"Well, you're going to have to talk to her," Angela said.

"I've tried, Ange," he said, frustrated. "She won't listen to me."

"Then you've got to _make_ her listen," Angela said, standing up from the table. She started to get up to leave and then turned back to the table. "And get rid of Hannah."

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Hannah continued her tour of speaking with the folks on the outside of Booth and Brennan's lives looking in. Next on her list was Bobby, the doorman in Temperance Brennan's apartment building. She had gotten the address from the contact list in Booth's BlackBerry. She climbed out of the cab and walked up the steps to the front door. Confidently, she walked in and walked right past the concierge desk.

"Excuse me," the man at the desk called out to her. "Ma'am," he said. "May I help you?"

"No," she said, smiling that smile of hers. "I'm just visiting a friend."

"Is your friend expecting you?" he asked, glancing from the woman in front of him to the guest list on his clipboard.

"No," she answered. "I just got into town and I thought I'd surprise her."

"Sorry," he said, tapping his pen against the clipboard he held in his hand. "You have to be on the list to go up."

She pouted and gave him _the look_.

"But I really did want to surprise her," she said.

"Sorry, but most of our residents prefer the notification," he said. "Who is your friend?"

"Tempe," she said confidently. "Oh, I mean Temperance. Temperance Brennan."

Bobby looked at the woman skeptically. He'd never seen her before, and Dr. Brennan rarely had unexpected visitors. Well, rarely other than Agent Booth, that is. She always notified him if she expected someone, and he was pretty sure she would not be open to someone showing up unexpectedly. It was a moot point however, because he knew that Dr. Brennan had left the building very early that morning and had yet to return.

"Again, I'm sorry, Miss," he said. "But Dr. Brennan isn't in. I can't let you go up, but you're welcomed to leave her a note or something."

"Thank you," she said, obviously searching out a name tag.

"Bobby," he supplied.

"Thank you, Bobby," she said. "I'll be certain to make sure Tempe knows how conscientious you are with regard to her preferences. I know that's really important to her. Especially in her line of work, you can never be too careful."

"Thanks," Bobby said with a smile. "I know Agent Booth would be really mad if I wasn't careful."

"Yeah," she said, tossing a casual laugh the young man's way. "He takes good care of her, doesn't he?"

"The best," Bobby said.

"So, what do you think?" she asked conspiratorially, leaning in close and smiling. "When do you think they'll admit to being more than partners?"

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Booth knew that Angela was right. He had to get rid of Hannah. God, that sounded terrible, even in his own head.

It wasn't that bad, right? It wasn't like they both hadn't known from the beginning that what they had was temporary. It was a desert fling, a warzone tryst… nothing more.

Then why did he feel guilty about breaking up with her?

He knew he had to do it. How was he supposed to convince Bones that he still loved her and they could really have a chance if Hannah was still in his bed?

No wonder she wouldn't talk to him. It was going to take a grand gesture to get her attention… and this had to be it. He made up his mind. He was going to tell Hannah she had to find someplace else to stay if she was going to stay in DC, and he was going to make it clear that whatever they had was over.

He was grateful to her. In some ways, she'd kept him alive… alive so he could come back to his life… to Parker… to Bones. But it was time to let her go, he probably should have done it before he left to come back to DC, but it was too late to worry about that now.

He headed toward his apartment, hoping that he'd find the right words by the time he got there.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Hannah smiled as she walked down the block. The doorman hadn't been as forthcoming as the waitresses, but he had definitely been useful. Like most people she'd spoken to, Bobby believed that Booth and Brennan were meant to be. She walked a little further before stopping to hale a cab.

A yellow taxi pulled over to the curb in short order and she climbed inside. She instructed the driver to take her to American University. She had a list of grad students to talk to. She was certain that she wouldn't get anything directly out of the core group of scientists at the Jeffersonian, as Booth had described them as Brennan's family… his, too.

As she read over her list, she was anxious to get a chance to speak with Colin Fisher, Wendell Bray, Arastoo Viziri, Vincent Nigel-Murray and Daisy Wick. She was most interested in talking to Miss Wick since she had spent the past seven months with Dr. Brennan in the Maluku Islands.

She'd done her homework, and was sure she could pick out each of the "squinterns," as Seeley had called them. She was only hoping that she could come up with a "natural" way to run into each of them. Like most everyone else, she expected that they would have a certain loyalty to Brennan. But she remembered grad school… she was sure if she got them talking, she could get the students to dish the dirt on their teacher.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN- Getting closer…. Hope you like this one. Big props to Ceeray for the help, encouragement and research. You're the bomb! *wink***

**Reviews are greatly appreciated! **

Chapter 4

The Set-Up

Hannah moved swiftly across the campus toward the science buildings. She was rushing through the quad and not looking ahead when she ran into a solid wall of muscle. Startled, she was even more surprised when she looked up into the warm, dark eyes of Arastoo Viziri.

"Oh, I am so sorry," she said. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"No problem," Arastoo replied, helping her with the bag she'd dropped. "You seem like you're in a hurry," he added, handing her the bag.

"I'm on my way to the anthropology wing," she said. "I'm supposed to be auditing a few classes for my journalism thesis. I'm writing about the correlation between the study of anthropology and written communication in Western culture."

"That's an interesting twist," he replied. "We don't get a lot of journalism majors over here. I'm on way over there myself," he told her. "Arastoo Viziri," he said offering his hand.

"I'm Hannah," she replied. "So you're an anthropology major?"

"Yes," he answered. "I'm focusing on forensic anthropology, but I'm studying cultural anthro this year."

"Forensic anthropology, huh?" she said. "I'll bet that's fascinating."

"It's definitely interesting," he said as they walked.

"That's Dr. Brennan's field, right?" she asked. "I was kind of hoping to run in to her…"

"She's not here," he said. "She's been in Indonesia working on the Maluku Islands Project. She just got back, but she doesn't have any classes scheduled because she was supposed to be away for the whole year."

"You know her?" Hannah asked, wide-eyed.

Arastoo nodded.

"She's my doctoral advisor," he said. "I actually intern for her at the Jeffersonian."

"Wow," she gasped. "I'll admit," she said, smiling sheepishly. "I'm a fan. I really like her books. So, are they pretty much an accurate representation of what she does?"

She bit her lip and smiled awaiting his answer.

Again, Arastoo nodded.

"I think she works very hard to ensure that the science is accurate in her books."

"What about the rest?" she asked, flashing her you-can-tell-me smile. "Are she and _her_ partner as close as Kathy and Andy?"

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Booth sat on his sofa, looking around his apartment. Even though they'd been back a while now, there wasn't much evidence that Hannah had been staying there. He remembered something she'd said about how a nomad has to travel lightly, and thought about how that might actually have been an understatement in her case.

At the same time, it made it difficult to envision just how deeply embedded Hannah had become in his life. He was glad that he had avoided introducing her to Parker, though at the time he'd felt guilty about doing so.

Scanning the room again, he recognized multiple signs of Bones' imprinting in his life. How had he made such a mess of things? How had ever thought he could really _move on_ from his love for his partner?

He had made no promises to Hannah. He hadn't invited her to come home with him…

He had told Bones he was moving on, and she'd encouraged it. So, why did it feel as if he was cheating on her with Hannah?

Because he was.

Or he had been… but that was over. He was planning to tell Hannah as soon as she got home. He'd go and stay with Jared or in a hotel until she had a chance to find someplace to go. Once she was gone, then he would move forward with his plan to convince Bones they were meant to be. He knew it was going to take some serious work for her to believe that he still loved her. He'd really screwed things up with that whole "moving on" speech. And actually _trying_ to move on hadn't helped, either.

Being in love with Temperance Brennan was a hell of a lot of work… but, he thought with a smile, she was worth every frustrating minute of it.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Hannah sat on the steps of the library. Her visit to the university hadn't been as productive as she'd hoped. Arastoo was hot, and quite charming, but ultimately not a great font of information. They'd extended their walk to the anthropology wing to include coffee at the student union, but he had refused to speculate on his professor's personal life. He had suggested to Hannah that she may be able to speak with Dr. Brennan if she made an appointment with her through the Jeffersonian.

She'd found out that she'd be unable to speak with Colin Fisher, who was currently undergoing in-patient treatment for severe depression… and the only way she was going to see Vincent Nigel-Murray was on television, as he was still appearing as the reigning champion on "Jeopardy." That left Daisy Wick and Wendell Bray. Arastoo had mentioned that Wendell was working with Dr. Brennan's team at the Jeffersonian this week.

She was just about to give up and head back to Seeley's apartment when she was pulled from her musings by the sound of a very exuberant voice.

"I'll see you then, Lancelot," the woman said, snapping her phone shut.

"Excuse me," Hannah said. "You're Daisy Wick, aren't you?" She paused, waiting as Daisy looked at her quizzically. "I saw your picture on the wall in the anthropology wing. That's quite an awards collection you've got."

"Thank you," Daisy replied with a wide smile. "I _am_ Dr. Brennan's most promising student… Well, I'm only going to be her student for a few more months…. I'm presenting my doctoral thesis at the end of the semester, so I'm really more of a colleague these days… we worked very closely together for the past seven months on the Maluku Project…"

Hannah sat back as the other woman prattled on. Seeley was right, she was a talker. In fact, he actually underestimated just how much she liked to talk. And he never mentioned her hero-worship of his partner. Daisy certainly liked to talk about Dr. Brennan. This could prove to be a productive day, after all.

When Daisy stopped to take a breath, Hannah reached out her hand and flashed a smile.

"I'm Hannah," she said.

She fed Daisy the same story as Arastoo about studying for her thesis and being a fan of Dr. Brennan. The other woman was more than thrilled to gush with her new friend about just how well she knew Dr. Brennan. She was her mentor, yes, but she also considered the senior anthropologist to be a great friend.

Hannah just sat back and listened, she knew she'd find an opening soon enough, but at the rate Daisy was going she may not need one. The grad student just might provide all the information Hannah was looking for without even being asked.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

"I'm just saying don't give up on him, sweetie," Angela said to her best friend.

"I'm not the one who gave up, Ange," Brennan replied. "He gave up on me."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that if I were you."

"But you're not me," Brennan insisted. "And Booth brought home a girlfriend. Who also, incidentally, is not me."

"Look at you, bustin' out the sarcasm," Angela said, with an exaggerated sniff. "I'm so proud."

"Angela…."

"Look Brennan, all I'm saying is that there's more going on here than meets the eye."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means, that there are at least two sides to every story," Angela said. "And this one has three. Maybe four."

"Four?"

"Yes, four," Angela said. "I can't explain it, but I think Booth is kind of of two minds about this. Or he was… Bren, all I'm saying is give him a chance. I think you really need to talk to him."

"I want to," Brennan admitted. "I do. I just don't know if I can."

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

"Oh yeah… they're definitely the love story of the century," Daisy was going on, "but I'm not sure either of them realize it."

"What about while you were in… Maluku, was it? Did it seem as though she particularly missed him?"

"Oh, definitely," Daisy said. "She wouldn't really talk about it, but she was definitely missing him. I think it was really him that brought her back."

"How so? I thought you both came back because of the case with Dr. Saroyan," Hannah said.

"We did," the other woman answered. "But Dr. Brennan always puts work first, unless of course Agent Booth is involved. She was really dedicated to the project. I'm not sure she would have left for Dr. Saroyan's case if Ms. Julian hadn't told her that Booth was already on his way."

"Interesting," Hannah replied.

"I guess so," Daisy said. "But that's just how they are. They are an incredible team, professionally. And I think they're even more so personally. There isn't anything one wouldn't do for the other. I've lost track of how many times they've saved each other's lives… Once, Dr. Brennan even asked Agent Booth to donate sperm so she could have a baby…"

"Wait a minute… what? She was going to have his baby? What happened?"

"He got a brain tumor."

Hannah's mind was reeling this was much more than she bargained for. Seeley hadn't mentioned a brain tumor… or the possibility of fathering his partner's baby…

"Oh gosh, look at the time. I've got to get going, but it was really nice meeting you, Hannah," Daisy said, reaching out to shake the other woman's hand. "You should stop by the Jeffersonian. I'm sure Dr. Brennan would talk to you for your paper."

"Thanks," Hannah replied, still speechless as she watched Daisy walk out.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Hannah was lost in her thoughts through the entire cab ride to Booth's apartment. She was still pensive as she found herself walking through the front door.

"Hey," Booth said softly.

"Hey," she replied.

"We have to talk," they said in unison.

"Go ahead," he said with a wan smile.

"No," she said. "You first."

"I don't even know how to say this," he said, reaching to rub the back of his neck. He let out a long sigh. He always hated this part. "Hannah," he said. "This just isn't working out…"

"I know."

"…you're a great girl," he went on, pacing the room. "Wait? What did you say?"

"I said, I know," she answered, smiling. "Seeley, I get it. I mean, I've known all along that there were three people in this relationship… but I had to come here and see it for myself. From what I gather, you two are like some freaking fairy tale… star-crossed lovers and all of that. Who am I to stand in the way of true love?"

"Really?" Booth asked. "It's that easy?"

"No, it's not easy," she replied. "I'm definitely not used to getting dumped, and I'm pretending to take it better than I really am," she said with the smile that had brightened so many dark times for him. "But I know I don't stand a chance, so it's better this way."

"Thank you, Hannah," he said, taking both of her hands in his. "For everything."

"You're welcome, Seeley," she answered. "It's been fun. Now, don't screw this up."

"I don't intend to," he said. "But that means we can't be sharing an apartment…"

"I know," she said. "I'll get out of your hair as soon as I can pack up my stuff."

"Stay tonight," he said. "Take your time. I don't want to just throw you out. I've already made arrangements to stay at my brother's for a couple of days."

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

It hadn't taken long for Hannah to pack her things. She set her meager belongings next to the front door and walked around the apartment. She was taking her time, taking it all in… using his surroundings to discover more about the man that she loved but could never have.

She noticed, for the first time, that Temperance was in nearly every photo that was displayed- some were the two of them, some with the little boy she assumed to be Parker, but most of them were group shots of various members of their squint family.

She was running her fingers along the spines of the books that lined his shelf when something caught her eye. It appeared to be an unpublished manuscript, and she assumed it to be one of Temperance's.

She pulled it down off the shelf and was surprised at what she saw.

_Bones: The Heart of the Matter_ by Dr. Lance Sweets

Didn't Daisy say something about her boyfriend, the psychologist, writing a book about them? She fervently hoped it was a clinical dissertation on their relationship. Anything else might have serious impact on the publishing of her own piece.

She picked up the manuscript and carried it over to the sofa where she sat down and curled up for a night of reading.

She already gave up the guy; there was no way she was going to miss out on the story, too.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Booth paced the length of Jared's living room.

He picked up the phone.

He put it down.

He sat down on the sofa.

He stood up.

He reached for the phone.

He jerked his hand away.

He began pacing again.

"Just call her," Jared said from the doorway.

"I can't," he answered, looking up at his brother who simply raised his eyebrow. "Not yet. I want to talk to her… but I need to do this right."

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Brennan sat on her bed with her computer on her lap. She'd been trying to work on her latest chapter for hours, but she couldn't seem to concentrate. Her earlier conversation with Angela kept running through her mind.

She wanted to talk to Booth.

She needed to talk to Booth.

She wanted to hear what he had to say.

She was terrified of what he had to say.

She was pulled from her reverie by the sound of her phone vibrating next to her. She picked it up and read the text message:

_Meet me at the carousel in the park. 10 AM. -Booth_


	5. Chapter 5

**AN- Shout out to Ceeray… without whom I may never have written this story! It has become a labor of love for me. I really love it.. and I want to thank the many folks who are reading and following and favoriting it. I would really love to hear from all of you! If you have a minute to leave a review, that would be great.**

Chapter Five

The Denouement

Hannah stood in the doorway of Booth's apartment, looking back one last time. She glanced over at the coffee table where she'd left her note along with the copy of Dr. Sweets' book. She had read through the entire thing and was pleased to know that it was more of a clinical review than anything else, so not only would it not interfere with the publishing of her story… but it would also serve as a great tool of reference.

Dr. Sweets had confirmed what Hannah had come to realize… that not only were Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan meant to be a couple, they were practically halves of the same whole. She sincerely hoped that they could find a way to make it work.

Texting Seeley to let him know she was gone, she closed the door behind her and headed off into what would become her next adventure.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Brennan stood at the entrance to the carousel. She glanced down at her watch.

9:57.

What was she doing here? She might still have a chance to leave without being seen.

She turned and started to walk to her car, and then she saw him.

Too late.

"Bones," he said softly as he walked up to her. "I'm glad you came."

"Where's Parker?" she asked.

"Parker?"

"Yes," she said with a smile. "Cute little curly headed blond boy… about ten years old… "

Booth smiled at her use of sarcasm.

"I'm aware of who he is," he said. "Why do you ask?"

She turned and indicated the carousel. She knew that Parker had loved to come here as a little boy, and she'd assumed that Booth would be bringing his son here today.

"Oh," he replied. "No, today isn't about Parker…" he said, holding her eyes as he reached for her hand. "It's about us."

"Us?" she asked, swallowing against the lump forming in her throat.

"Yes," he replied. "I'll explain, but first let's take a ride."

She watched as he walked over to the attendant and paid for two admissions to the attraction. He stepped back to her and once again reached out for her hand. She followed as he led her up to the carousel. He stepped up on to the ride and reached to help her step up beside him. There were few children aboard the carousel and he led her around to the back side where it was quiet. He thought about picking her up and setting her on one of the horses, but instead he walked over to one of the bench-style seats. He sat down and pulled gently for her to sit next to him.

They sat quietly, hand-in-hand, as the ride began to move.

He was encouraged that she'd made no move to remove her hand from his.

The carousel had taken several revolutions before either of them spoke.

"I don't understand, Booth," she said.

"I've missed you," he answered.

"Booth, you see me almost every day."

"That's not what I mean, Bones," he said. Raising their clasped hands to his lips, he brushed a soft kiss against her knuckles.

"Booth," she protested. "Don't."

"It's okay," he said.

"No, it isn't," she replied.

"Bones, listen to me," he said. "You're right, nothing is okay right now… and it hasn't been for a very long time. But I'm ready to change that, and I believe that you are, too."

They hadn't noticed that the music stopped or that they were no longer moving until a little red-headed girl ran past them. Smiling, Booth stood up and held his hand out to his partner. He stepped off the side of the carousel and held his hand out to her.

"Bones, I brought you here today for this symbolic moment. It's time we step off the merry-go-round that we've been riding for the better part of a decade. I love you. I've loved you since the day I met you. No matter how many stupid pronouncements I've made or how many ill-advised attempts at moving on… that hasn't changed. I loved you yesterday, I love you today, and I'll love you even more tomorrow. Are you willing to take that next step with me?"

She stepped off the carousel and into his arms. He held her tightly and she returned the embrace.

It was only when they heard the applause and whistles that they noticed the small crowd that had assembled to watch them.

This was the sappy, romantic, old movie moment that she'd been dreaming of when they'd first returned to DC.

He looked down into her beautiful blue eyes that were shining with unshed tears.

"I know you have a million questions," he said, softly tracing the line of her jaw with his finger. "And I promise, I'll answer every one. But first, say it. Bones, tell me you love me."

She smiled brightly as a lone tear slid down her cheek.

"I love you," she said. "As irrational as it is to say so, I loved you yesterday, I love you today, and I'll love you even more tomorrow."

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

They walked through the picnic area and past the playground. Silently, they walked for a while along the jogging trail until they came to a secluded area where they could sit on a park bench overlooking the Potomac.

"Where do we start?" she asked quietly.

"What do you want to know?" he replied with a question of his own.

"I guess I should ask about Hannah," she said.

"Bones," he said, taking her hand. "Temperance," he said, pausing to enjoy the feel of her name on his lips, "She's gone. I'm not proud of how I handled things-with either of you. But I never made Hannah any promises, and I didn't ask her to come here. She was a good friend when I needed one, and she became a distraction from my feelings for you… but when we got back here and you told me how you really felt, that was it. I knew that I couldn't hide from my feelings anymore- that I didn't want to."

"I'm sorry I told you I wanted you to move on," she said, her voice still quiet.

"I'm sorry I told you that I needed to," he replied. "I should have fought harder for you… for us. There are so many things about that night that I wish I could change…"

"It was very confusing," she said, lacing her fingers with his. "For both of us. I was afraid, Booth. I don't like that feeling. I still didn't understand love in the way that you explained it. I didn't think that it was possible for humans to sustain a committed monogamous relationship, and I was afraid that I would hurt you. I meant it when I said I needed to protect you from me. And even then I knew then that I loved you, but I was afraid that one day you'd realize that I wasn't enough. Experience tells me that if you love someone, they leave. I couldn't let myself love you, because I needed you too much. I thought it would be better to go through the pain of not being with you to ensure that I would have you in my life. I thought at the time that I was being rational, but I know now that it was the most irrational decision I've ever made."

Booth was stunned by the openness and the clarity in what she said. She really had worked through her feelings and was in touch with them enough to lay it all out there. Stunned as he was, he didn't comment on it. He was afraid that if he did, he'd cause her to close off again. Instead, he told her what was in his own heart.

"I wish that I hadn't let Sweets push me into saying something to you that night," he said. "I knew that it wasn't the right time. I knew you weren't ready… and I know better than to push you…"

"Stop," she said, placing her finger to his lips. "We can't go back and change what happened. Discussing it is counterproductive. And if that hadn't happened… If I hadn't gone to Maluku, I may not have taken the time to sort out and accept my feelings…"

"You're right," he said. "Let's put the past behind us, and focus on the future."

They spent the rest of the morning and into the afternoon walking in the park. There was much conversation, and many long periods of silence.

Both knew that things between them had changed fundamentally, but neither of them was particularly sure what was supposed to happen next.

"Bones," he said after a long silence. "Will you come back to my place with me? There's something I want to show you."

"Of course," she answered.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Booth unlocked the door and Brennan followed him into the apartment. The moment was somewhat awkward, as they both knew that Hannah had been there only a short time before.

He squeezed her hand and leaned in to kiss the top of her head.

"Wait here," he said and he disappeared down the hallway.

While she was waiting for him, she wandered around the living room. She noticed a book that seemed out of place on the coffee table. Reaching down, she realized it was a copy of Sweets' manuscript. Resting against it was an envelope with her name on it. It wasn't Booth's handwriting… she picked it up and tucked it into her purse.

She looked up as he came down the hall carrying a large, square, black frame.

"I had this made for you before we left," he said. "Things were getting kind of weird and I never found the right time to give it to you."

He turned the frame around to reveal a stark white matte around white parchment. On the parchment were six words spelled out in hanzi.

"That's Mandarin," she said. "Happiness, love, laughter, friendship, purpose and dance."

There were tears in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Those are the things you said you wished for me," she said. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

"I still do," he said. "Wish those things for you, only now I want to be the one you share them with."

"I want that, too," she said.

"I've wished for a while that I had found a time to give it to you," he said. "Especially after my perfect gift." He nodded toward the Bakelite telephone sitting on the side table.

"But Booth, I…"

He interrupted her, shaking his head as he reached over to take the frame and set it down on the floor. He took her hand and pulled her close to him.

"Hannah may have bought it, Bones, but the gift was yours. The sentiment was yours… the knowledge was yours… You know me like no one else. You have such an incredible heart," he said. "I love you, so much."

She smiled at his words.

"You have no idea how good it feels to be able to say that out loud," he said.

"I think I do," she said, closing the gap between them. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against the hard planes of his chest.

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Much later, Temperance Brennan opened the door to her apartment. After a great deal of discussion, it was decided that although she and Booth were firmly together now as a couple, they would still take their time before proceeding to the next level.

They postulated that since this would be the last time that either of them went through the courting ritual, that they would do it right. They wanted to create memories that would last a lifetime.

After a leisurely dinner, lots of talking, and a heated make-out session, Booth had driven Brennan back to the park to pick up her car. She thought he figured she didn't know he'd followed her all the way back to her apartment parking lot before turning around and heading in the opposite direction back to his own place. She was going to have to talk with him about his over-protective behavior.

She put her bag down on the floor next to the coffee table and set her gift down next to it. She looked around the room, hoping to find the perfect place to hang it. Not finding one, she carried it with her back to her bedroom, where she set it on the bureau across from her bed so she could look at it while lying in bed.

She changed into comfortable lounging clothes and went back out into the living room. She poured herself a glass of red wine and sat down on the sofa. She pulled the envelope out of her bag and opened it slowly, unsure of what she was going to find.

Unfolding it, she found a handwritten letter and confirmed her suspicion that it was indeed from Hannah.

_Temperance,_

_If you're reading this, I hope that it means that you and Seeley have worked things out. He is a really good man, and I guess you know that better than anyone. He deserves to be happy and I know now that you are the only one who can ever give him that happiness._

_I know I'm the last person you'd expect or want to receive relationship advice from at the moment, but I feel as if I've really gotten to know you and Seeley over the past weeks… and maybe I am the perfect person to remind you to hold on to what you've got._

_Seeley says you always call him an alpha male… and that you don't believe that humans can truly be monogamous. Seeley isn't like any other man I've known, he's an animal all unto himself. _

_Think of him as the Alpha Wolf… Wolves mate for life… and you are his chosen mate. Without you by his side, he's going to live a long and lonely life. Don't sentence him to that, Temperance. Take care of him. Love him._

_I wish you both a lifetime of love and happiness._

_Hannah_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The End

"Hurry up, you guys," Angela called out. "It's on."

Everyone gathered around the television in Booth and Brennan's living room. Jack and Angela sat on the floor in front of the sofa with two-year-old Reed. Sweets and Daisy sat hand-in-hand on the loveseat, Max pulled up a chair next to where his daughter sat on the sofa, wrapped in Booth's embrace.

Padme sat in Jared's lap in Booth's recliner. Caroline was busy shushing the rest of the interns in the kitchen while Cam and her boyfriend took up the opposite end of the sofa from their hosts.

Booth grabbed the remote and turned up the sound.

"I can't believe my living room is full of people watching Oprah," he said with a snort.

"Be quiet," Brennan said, leaning into his embrace as he began to stroke her expanding waistline.

"_Good evening, and welcome to the Oprah Winfrey Prime Time Special. This evening, we'll be talking to New York Times Best Selling Author Hannah Burley about the new book that is causing quite a sensation._

_The Love in the Story__ is the sentimental telling of a real-life fairy tale that was made into the holiday blockbuster movie starring George Clooney and Ashley Judd. What makes this story unique is not only the story itself, but the fact that Hannah was able to tell the riveting tale without revealing the identity of the couple at the center of it all… and she's here to tell us all about it."_

"I can't believe she's on Oprah," Daisy gushed.

"Didn't she retire like, two years ago?" Sweets replied.

"Yes, but she's been doing these live prime time specials three times a year kind of like Barbra Walters," Cam replied. "But they're really more like a nighttime version of her old show."

"Can't you people ever stop talking?" Caroline groused. "Be quiet so we can hear what the girl has to say. Here she comes."

All eyes were back on the television as Oprah welcomed her guest and those assembled at the home of Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan watched the familiar blonde walk out to join Oprah on the sofa.

They listened with rapt attention as Oprah gave some details of Hannah's background and asked her questions about her investigative reporting.

"_So how does a hard-hitting journalist who spent most of her career as a war correspondent end up writing a modern day fairy tale?"_

"_Well, Oprah, I walked right in the middle of it, and it was a story too good to pass up. Three years ago, my editors had been after me to do a softer piece, human interest in one of the soldiers or something, so they had me embedded with a troop in Afghanistan._

_It was there that I met the man with the biggest heart I've ever encountered. At the time, that heart was broken. He would correct me and tell me that the heart is a muscle and can only be crushed, but nonetheless, he was a hero in a lot of pain._

_We became friends and he told me about the woman who had stolen his heart but was too afraid to take ownership of it. Of course, I thought she must be some kind of idiot to let him go… imagine my surprise when I found out she was a certified genius._

_We became close, and I realized that this soldier was my story. I never expected to fall in love with him."_

"She did love you, you know," Brennan whispered into Booth's ear.

He squeezed her a little tighter in answer.

"She asked me to take care of you," she admitted.

"What?"

"That first day, when we went back to your apartment," she said, watching his eyes as he listened to her. "When you went back to the bedroom to get my gift," she paused as both sets of eyes turned to the piece of artwork hanging above the fireplace. "I found an envelope with my name on it. I read it when I got home. She told me that you were an Alpha Wolf and that I was your mate…"

"Wolves mate for life, you know," he said quietly, nuzzling her ear.

"Precisely," she replied. "She told me to hold on to what we have. To love you and to take care of you."

"Well, you do a great job of that," he said, softly kissing her cheek.

"We should be paying attention to the interview," she said with a smile as she rested in his embrace.

"_He was actually a retired soldier, on a temporary mission. He wasn't career military… at least not then... He was a man with a sense of duty and honor like I've never seen. He had left behind a life- a successful career, friends, family… his child… to do his duty by serving his country. Thousands of men and women do that every day, and each of them deserve to be honored, but there was something about him that I just couldn't let go of. I had to get to know him. I wanted to know what made him tick. _

_We became friends, confidants and eventually lovers…"_

"_Even though you knew he was deeply in love with another woman?"_

"_We were in the middle of a warzone, Oprah. Death and destruction all around… in fact, we actually met when he saved my life. We were there for each other in a time when we both needed it. I helped him heal and he helped me grow up._

_I guess I thought it was a desert fling, what we both needed at the time. I expected to write a human interest piece on him and that would be the end of it. I never expected it to go beyond the story or our time in Afghanistan. But when he was called home unexpectedly, I wasn't ready for him to go. So, I followed him."_

"You really didn't ask her to come back with you?" Brennan asked Booth quietly.

"Of course not," he answered, leaning in to kiss her temple. "Are you really asking me that…now?" he asked, rubbing his hand over the expanse of her belly.

"No," she answered, resting her hands on top of his. "I can't really blame her, you know. Any woman with half a brain would have followed you. I should have… I shouldn't have let you go in the first place."

"No," he agreed with a smile. "You shouldn't have. But in a way, I'm glad you did. I mean Hannah's showing up was kind of the catalyst that finally got us to come to our senses."

"So, I should be glad that you slept with her while I was busy working?" she asked with a sly smile.

"It was just biology, Baby," he whispered in her ear. "Fulfilling urges and all of that. Nothing like the real thing." He leaned over and placed a deep, passionate kiss on her lips, not even caring that they were sitting in a room filled with friends and family.

"You two wanna stop making out so the rest of us can hear the interview?" Max asked with a twinkle in his eye. He was thrilled that his baby girl had finally found her way past her defenses and into the arms of the only man who would ever love her as much as he did.

"Sorry, Max," Booth said sheepishly.

"No, you're not," Max replied with a laughing smile.

"You're right," Booth answered, smiling as he leaned in to place a sweet kiss in Brennan's hair.

They turned their attention back to the television.

"_So then, you met this other woman…" Oprah said._

"_Right," Hannah answered with a smile. "I have to admit, at first I found her to be rather odd. It was kind of off-putting… I wasn't sure what he saw in her. And I wasn't sure I wanted to give him up. But then, I got to know her and realized what a special person she is. Eventually, we became friends."_

"_And they've both been involved in the process of the book and the film?"_

"_Oh yeah, all the way. I wouldn't have done it without their permission or their input. The story was too good not to tell, but it's their story. I'm just glad that they were okay with the book and the way I told the story."_

"_One of the things that is so great about it is that you tell the story through the eyes of the people around them. From the waitresses at their favorite restaurant to the doorman in her building… it's amazing what people notice."_

"_I know, right? I think that was really the fascinating thing about their story and what makes it so unique. They're totally polar opposites… if fate hadn't brought them together, their paths would never have crossed. But at the same time, they're absolutely perfect for each other. It's incredible, really. And everyone around them could see it…."_

"_Everyone except them…"_

"_Exactly," Hannah replied with a light chuckle. "But if you ask him, he knew. Right from the beginning. It just took him almost six years to act on it."_

"_Because of her past and her fears…"_

"_Again, that's what he says. I think he had plenty of fears of his own. His past wasn't exactly a walk in the park. But I like to think they were waiting for me to bring them together…"_

"Oh yeah," Angela said with a roll of her eyes. "That's exactly it. Is she serious?"

"I don't know, Cherie," Caroline jumped in. "She DID give them that swift kick in the pants that none of us seemed to be able to do."

"Yeah," Angela agreed. "Not even with blackmail kisses…"

"Hey, it was worth a try," Caroline protested.

"Shhhh." Hodgins placed his hand over his wife's mouth to keep her from replying. "I can't hear what they're saying."

"_And how are they now?" Oprah asked. "Still going strong?"_

"_Definitely," Hannah replied. "Happy, healthy, and I don't think they'd mind my telling you that there's a baby on the way."_

"_We'll be right back with author Hannah Burley and the stars of 'The Love in the Story'," Oprah said as they cut to commercial._

"I can't believe they got George Clooney to play you, Booth," Angela gushed. "He's hot."

"So is Booth," Brennan replied, snuggling up to the man in question.

"Thanks, Bones," he replied, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

"And Ashley Judd," Padme said. "I loved her in 'Kiss the Girls'."

"That was creepy," Cam said. "But really good."

"What about The Ya-Ya Sisterhood? She was great in that," Angela said. "I bet she's really good at playing you , Bren."

"They're back!" someone yelled from the kitchen doorway.

"_I really love the style of the book," Oprah said. "You took a similar tac as Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus used in __The Nanny Diaries__. You never use names, only giving the characters nicknames. It's intriguing to the reader… they did it because their characters were an amalgam of real the real people that they based their book on, the characters didn't represent one actual person. But yours do. This was a creative way to preserve their anonymity."_

"_Thank you, I hope so," Hannah replied. "I mean, I hope that people find it interesting and creative. And that it does keep the real couple out of the spotlight."_

"_And even the cast doesn't know who they are, right?"_

"_Right," Hannah said. "That was one of the only restrictions that they laid down when we set out to do this. Complete anonymity. Ashley is driving me crazy," she went on with a smile. "She really wants to know who she's playing."_

"_Let's talk to her about that," Oprah said. "Please welcome Ashley Judd and George Clooney!"_

**BnBnBnBnBnB**

Hannah had called as soon as the interview was over and everyone shared their congratulations. Booth and Brennan shared their thanks with her for the whole experience and for her preserving their privacy.

Hannah gave Brennan Ashley's contact information and left it up to her if she wanted to reveal their identities to the actress or not.

Soon after Hannah's phone call, their guests began to make their way to their homes. And after a while, Booth was glad to find that he and Brennan were alone again.

"It's been a wild ride, Bones," he said, pulling her into his arms. "We've had some bumps along the way, but I don't think I'd change a thing."

"The notion of going back in time to do things differently is ridiculous, Booth," she began.

He stopped her with a kiss.

"Hannah's right about one thing," he said, breaking the kiss.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Ours is a story too good not to tell, Bones."

"It is, isn't it?" she replied, reaching up to kiss him again.

He nodded, and then leaned in to press their foreheads together.

"But Hannah's book doesn't really tell our story," he said.

"It doesn't?" she asked.

"Nope," he replied with his famous smile. "She may have introduced the world to the love in the story… but that's not the whole story. It's only the beginning."

Before she could reply, his lips were on hers and they were sharing the sweetest kiss. It was a kiss of gratitude for all they had been through… it was a declaration of the love they shared… and it was a promise of what was to come. She knew that Booth was right. Hannah's story was only the beginning of their journey.

They still had thirty, or forty, or fifty years of story to tell.

**AN- This is it, folks! Thanks for reading! I don't know if I can truly convey how much I mean that. I think that a lot of folks shied away from this story because of the Hannah element, and I think that's a shame because it is truly a story of the depth and longevity of the love Booth and Brennan have for each other. I really love this story and I'm thankful for all of you who have let me know you've enjoyed it, too.**

**For those of you who expected Hannah to be evil incarnate, sorry to disappoint. I just don't see her that way on the show and I couldn't write her that way. I think on the show, she's a necessary evil, but she's not evil. She's just a nice girl who fell for the wrong guy. It's not her fault. I kinda like her and I'd like to see her make a classy exit.**

**This is the first story that had a specific beginning and end in my mind. It was only supposed to be five chapters, but I added the fourth chapter after reading some of your reviews.**

**I absolutely couldn't have done it without Ceeray... she's been an unfailing cheerleader, faithful confidante, inspiring editor and master researcher. Thanks, C! This one's for you.**

**Now, please review. :-)**


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